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CHARLES REGINALD BLATHVAYT, OF OHELMABSH, BRIDGENORTH,

' COUNTY OF SALOI), ENGLAND.

LATCH Foe Dooas, weNnoWs, sbo.

-FEQIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,175, dated February 2, 1886.

Application filed November 9, 1885.

T 0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLEs REGINALD BLATHWAYT, a subject of the Queen of Eng land, residing at Chelmarsh Vicarage, Bridgenorth, in the county of Salop, England, have invented an Improved Latch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved form of latch applicable to doors,windows, drawers, or other objects. It may be in the form of a mortisc, outside,77 or faceplate latch, and is so constructed that when the door,window, or drawer with which it may be tted stands unclosed the latch remains flush with the edge of the said door or object, and at the same time the latch is selfclosing by the reaction of a spring knob or surface situated either on the latch or on the jamb of the door when the door or other object is shut, and, again,where the door or other object, being hung on suitable hinges, is free to swing through the apertnre,the latch will,with the same facility, close from either side.

My latch is constructed as follows, and I annex a sheet of drawings of same, in which- Figure 1 is asectional elevation of my latch as an outside latch. Figs. 2, 2X are asectional elevation and plan of my faceplate latch. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a duplicate mortise-latch.

Like letters refer to similar parts in all the different figures.

My latch consists of a latch lever or levers, AA, each pivoted at B at a point near to one end of the lever and mounted in a mortise or outside frame, C, as in Figs. 1 and 3, or in a faceplate,D, as in Figs. 2,2X. The said levers A A are maintained normally flush with the edge of the door or other object when it stands open by connterpoise-weights on the levers, which may conveniently be handles M E, Fig. 1, (shown in that figure as alternatives to one another,) or by the reaction of a spring or springs behind them, F F,Figs. 2 and 3. The longer ends of the lever or levers A A are caused to engagein the catch-plate G Gr G, when the door or other obj ect is closed,by the pressure of a projecting knob, K K K, fitted either into the short ends of the latch-levers themselves,as in Fig. l 3, or into the jamb of the Serial No. 182,284. (No model.)

door or edge of the aperture, as in Figs. l and 2, so that it is opposite to the short ends of the latch lever or levers. Unless the said latch lever or levers are themselves made from spring-steel, the said knob is provided with a spring, L, which may be either a spiral or a flat spring, so as to enable the knob to yield to the passing of the latch until the latter is exactly opposite to the catch-plate,when the lever is thus able to yield to the pressure of the knob and shoot forward into the catchplate. The said latch lever or levers may bc withdrawn from the opposite catch-plateafter the door or other object has been closed, so as to open the same in a variety of equivalent methods, of which I specify and illustrate the following:

In Fig. l the latch-lever A A is provided with a thumb-piece, M, to which access can be obtained through an aperture, m, in the side of the latch-case; or, alternatively, the handle E may be fitted to the spindle B, with which the latch-lever may be caused to move.

In Figs. 2, 2X I have shown a leather' strap, chain, or steel band, I), one end of which is attached to the longer end of the latch-lever A. The other end, p, may be fastened in the door, and ahandle, H, to pull or push perpendicnlarly to this strap, may be attached at any point between the two extremities of the strap. It is obvious that the pull or push of such a handle will draw backward the end of the strap attached to the latch-lever, and thus disengage it from the catch-plate; orI the end p of this strap or band may be attached to a drum upon the spindle of an ordinary doorhandle fitted to turn in the usual way. The turning ofthe said handle will effect the same object of withdrawing the projecting end of the latch-lever.

Similarly to the spindle of the said handle last named, a handle and pinion-wheel,Q,as in Fig. 3, may be attached and caused to gear into a rack, It, attached to the shorter orlonger end or ends of the said latch lever or levers A A. The revolution of this handle and pinion Q in a certain direction will cause the longer projecting ends of the latch-levers to be withdrawn from the catch-plate.

It is obvious that a variety of similar ar- IOO 2. In a latch, the combination of a face-plate, a lever latch or latches therein maintained normally flush by a spring or Weight, a spring actuating-knob either on the latch or on the opposite jamb, and a handlespindle fitted 2o with a pinion gearing into a rack, substantially as set forth.

In testimony WhereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES REGINALD BLATHWAYT.

Witnesses:

' S. P. WILDING, l RICHARD A. HOFFMANN. 

